Bears announce minicamp dates

The Bears announced Thursday that they will begin their offseason conditioning program on May 9, will hold a rookie minicamp May 6-8 and a full-squad minicamp June 3-5 at Halas Hall.

The announcements came after the league office sent a memo to teams instructing them to open their doors to players and resume operations on Friday morning.

It is still not known when the new league year will begin, which means teams cannot sign free agents, rookie free agents or trade players. Coaches are allowed to talk to players currently under contract, however, and players can workout at team facilities as well as undergo medical exams and participate in film study.

The annoucements by the team and the league are pending a decision by The Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which could grant the NFL's request of a stay, which could mean the lockout would continue.